A Young MartyrOn the morning of 22 February 1770, a sign bearing a single word -- "Importer" -- appears in front of Theophilus Lillie's North End shop. Drawn by the prospect of a scuffle, a group of young men and boys gathers to taunt Lillie's customers. Ebenezer Richardson, a known and despised customs informer, attempts to topple the sign and disperse the crowd, but they pelt him with dirt and sticks and chase him back to his nearby home. Barricaded in his house with mariner Richard Wilmot, Richardson retrieves a musket and fires through a broken window, mortally wounding eleven-year-old Christopher Seider (Snider). Four days later, patriot leaders, eager to implicate the much-loathed customs commissioners in Seider's death, stage a spectacular funeral procession for the young martyr.

2. One of the Latin inscriptions on Seider's coffin is Innocentia nusquam tuta (Innocence is nowhere safe). Why do you think that patriots selected this particular inscription?

3. According to the newspaper article, who is going to raise money for a monument to Christopher Seider? What is the significance of this particular group erecting a monument to the eleven-year-old boy?

Further Exploration

4. Draw a picture of the funeral scene.

5. What is the connection between Christopher Seider's death and the Boston Massacre? Read some additional documents on the Boston Massacre for more clues.